There’s lots to love about this week’s NOTCOT.org roundup which includes great packaging, new gadgetry, stunning illustration and more. To find out more about each post, click on its image.

It’s holiday season here at NOTCOT, and we’re doing our annual Gift Guides, Coupons and Giveaways! Just our little way of giving a big hug to awesome brands and readers as we close out 2010!

UPDATE: Congrats to Mark in Portland, OR!

NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #6 is here ~ and today our friends from Supermarket are giving a lucky reader a bundle of goodies including: a large Snapshot Pin by Amy B. Designs in Philly, a Extroverted Necklace by Aroha Silhouettes in Vancouver, a Blaue Blume Tea Cup by our friends, Undergrowth Design, in London, Spot Bowl in white by perch! in brooklyn, and a green Moka Express silkscreen print by mengsel. As you can see, the whole bundle comes from designers around the globe ~ Supermarket is dedicated to great design, straight from designers, and this week i am their Guest Curator! All of the products in the giveaway are part of the selection i’ve curated after going through nearly ALL of their tons of products! See bigger pics of each of the giveaway items on the next page!

For a chance to win, leave a comment by midnight on Dec 4th (PST) ~ sharing one of your favorite local indie designers/stores.

For a chance to win the bundle including: a large Snapshot Pin by Amy B. Designs in Philly, a Extroverted Necklace by Aroha Silhouettes in Vancouver, a Blaue Blume Tea Cup by our friends, Undergrowth Design, in London, Spot Bowl in white by perch! in brooklyn, and a green Moka Express silkscreen print by mengsel from Supermarket, leave a comment by midnight on Dec 4th (PST) ~ sharing one of your favorite local indie designers/stores!

And check out the rest of our 2010 Gift Guides, Coupons and Giveaways! Happy Holidays!

This post is the first of three gift guides sponsored by Xfinity. Focused on themes of gifts and gadgets that help us push the boundaries of how and where we watch TV! As usual ~ content is all me, and they’re sponsoring me to do it! And for the official bit: “This post brought to you by Xfinity from Comcast. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Comcast or its partners.”

Partial Operation Window Seat post ~ that view is from today’s flight from LAX-JFK ~ as i worked all 5 hours on my Mac Book Air ~ even streaming TV shows in the background since this flight had no mini entertainment screen all of my own! It’s pretty amazing how a 5 hour flight felt more like a 1 hour flight when i had internet the whole way to work/chat my way through it! I guess we are pretty spoiled these days with the ability to get entertainment of all kinds in so many different ways! But it’s situations like this that inspired this gift guide which is filled with products that change and accessorize the way we interact and consume TV when outside of the living room… like while traveling! Take a peek at all my picks on the next page!

SO what else can help you watch tv while jetsetting and roadtripping for the holidays?

It’s become so easy to watch TV shows online now… but when that doesn’t work (or you’re out of the country!) I love my slingbox and having something to connect to my TV box at home to be able to watch shows on almost any device wherever in the world i am - over 3G/Wifi/etc! Slingbox HD - Plug it in to your TV at home. Then you can watch it from your various phones (iphone, blackberry, android) Now even available for your iPad! iphone/(ipad)/computer

As far as travel friendly devices to watch on - in the laptop division these are both beautifully light and versatile! Macbook Air - i still can’t get over how light this is!
Dell Inspiron Duo - Flips from laptop to tablet!

Headphones are key if you’re trying to escape the family thing for a little bit… Ultimate Ears 700 Noise Isolating Earphones - awesome sound out of some adorably tiny earbuds
AIAIAI and Slam X Hype Edition Tracks Headset - gorgeous!
Klipsch Image S5i Rugged headphones - features a mic and oversized moisture-resistant three-button remote!

And if you want to share… either with headphones - or a wireless speaker! Belkin Rockstar 5 way 3.5mm jack splitter - you can share with 4 friends!
Jawbone Jambox - portable speaker/mic and more bluetoothed!

Another option on amplifying the sound… and don’t forget to bring cables if you want to hook up your devices to other tvs, projectors, chargers, etc! Horn iPhone Stand/Amplifier
Flexicords - from iphone cables to hdmi cables, they are bendable and posable.

Xfinity TV’s Holiday section, filled with tv shows, movies, and more to inspire your holidays, was the starting point for where this gift guide evolved. The big question being ~ what ELSE do you need and use while watching TV when away from home? Sites like Xfinity TV let you watch most of your favorite shows from just about anywhere with internet connection - from basic cable to HBO/Showtime goodness, and now even let you program your DVRs online…

Gift Guide time! In addition to the NOTCOT Holiday Coupons and the many Holiday Giveaways that will be unfolding daily… here’s my latest gift guide dedicated to beautiful BOOKS! As much as people claim print is dead ~ it’s so so not, and gorgeous glossy coffee table books, surprising analog interactive kids books, stunning magazines, design books, graphically awesome cookbooks and more are still launching constantly. On the next page, you’ll see a pick of some of my favorites for gifting this season!

1. Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks - a curation of 100 of the finest trunks the Louis Vuitton company has produced on commission.
2. Music by Andrew Zuckerman - the amazing photographer who brought us Creature, and Bird, and Wisdom!
3. Waddle! A Scanimation Book by Rufus Butler Seder - a great follow up to Gallop! - so mesmerizing, and such a work of art! (For all ages!)

1. I Am Plastic, Too: The Next Generation of Designer Toys - by Paul Budnitz - Awesome sequel by Kidrobot founder, it’s like a yearbook of the best toy designs!
2. The Story of Eames Furniture by Marilyn Neuhart, John Neuhart, Robert Klanten, and Sven Ehmann
Threadless: Ten Years of T-shirts from the World’s Most Inspiring Online Design Community by Jake Nickell

It’s a Boy!/It’s a Girl! by Jochen Radeker and Kirsten Dietz - stunning book of photos of signage to inspire naming… whether for your newest baby… or characters in your play… a gorgeous new designer naming book! 300 photos to record company buildings and shop fronts in the USA, Europe and Asia that carry the owner’s name. (More images here)

1. The Geometry of Pasta by Caz Hildebrand and Jacob Kenedy - one of the most beautiful books i’ve fallen for this year, unlike any other, filled with gorgeous black and white vector images and recipes and stories galore! (See my close ups here)
2. Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats by Bakerella - one of the hottest food blog trends to grow the last few years, love that Bakerella took her hobby to a blog to a book!
3. The How Not To Cookbook: Lessons Learned The Hard Way by Aleksandra Mir

1. Dogs by Tim Flach
2. Robots!: Draw Your Own Androids, Cyborgs & Fighting Bots by Jay Stephens
3. Geek Dad: Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids to Share by Ken Denmead

Vintage Cocktails by Brian Van Flandern and Laziz Hamani

1. Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Bilet - this epic 6 volume, 2400 page set doesn’t drop till March 2011, but would be the ultimate pre-order gift for any of the culinary inclined. Photography looks mind blowing!
2. What To Cook and How To Cook It by Jane Hornby
3. Keys To Good Cooking a Guide to Making the Best Foods by Harold McGee

If there are two magazines i’ve discovered this year that are worth every penny ~ it would be Swallow Magazine for a whole new look at food and Intersection Magazine, possibly the coolest Automotive/Lifestyle magazine.

It’s holiday season here at NOTCOT, and we’re doing our annual Gift Guides, Coupons and Giveaways! Just our little way of giving a big hug to awesome brands and readers as we close out 2010!

UPDATE: Congrats to Claudette who won the Customs, and Hao in Pittsburgh, PA, AJ in NY, Tran in Fountain Valley, CA, Yiorgos in Valencia, Spain, and Martins in Latvia who won the UE 700s!

NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #5 is here ~ and today our friends from Ultimate Ears are giving one lucky reader: a pair of custom UE 18 Pro In-Ear Monitors, and 5 twitter followers a pair of Ultimate Ears 700 Noise-Isolating Earphones. Please note that the UE 18 Pros are restricted to US winners, but i can ship the 700s internationally! So please enter accordingly. You’ve seen my reviews of the UE 18 Pros and the UE 700s - both sets are awesome, and both have updated packaging! See some close up pics on the next page…

Giveaway 1: For a chance to win, the UE 18 Pro In-Ear Monitors, leave a comment by midnight on Dec 3rd (PST) ~ sharing your best live music experience. Winner will be contacted by email.

Giveaway 2: To win one of the Ultimate Ears 700 Noise-Isolating Earphones follow us and tweet @notcot, @notcouture, @tasteologie, @notventures, or @liqurious and @ultimateEars with your favorite song today and #UEgiveaway! (i.e. “Hey @NOTCOT + @UltimateEars i’m loving ___ #UEgiveaway”) I’ll pick one winner from each account and you need to follow us so i can D you if you win!. You can enter the twitter contest until tomorrow (11/30) at noon PST.

Now check out some close ups of the new packaging on the next page!

Giveaway 1: For a chance to win, the UE 18 Pro In-Ear Monitors, leave a comment by midnight on Dec 3rd (PST) ~ sharing your best live music experience.

Giveaway 2: To win one of the Ultimate Ears 700 Noise-Isolating Earphones follow us and tweet @notcot, @notcouture, @tasteologie, @notventures, @liqurious and @ultimateEars with your favorite song today and #UEgiveaway! (i.e. “Hey @NOTCOT + @UltimateEars i’m loving ___ #UEgiveaway”) I’ll pick one winner from each account and you need to follow us so i can D you if you win!. You can enter the twitter contest until tomorrow (11/30) at noon PST.

And check out the rest of our 2010 Gift Guides, Coupons and Giveaways! Happy Holidays!

Surprise holiday gift arrivals: Jimmyjane’s Little Afterglow Sampler - a beautiful box set of 6 playful minis (that are not so mini!) of their Afterglow massage oil candles. They smell absolutely divine, and come in the prettiest little porcelain containers with perfect pouring spouts. On a side note, does anyone else ever wonder how fun it would be if Jimmyjane went into dinnerware? or vases and votives? It really is so tempting to use these porcelain dishes for dressing on the side or sauces… honey perhaps? Their designs are so subtle yet edgy, and the porcelain is so delicately beautiful in the modern shapes! Ok but back to the unboxing at hand, “this collection provides six enticing scents that explore the essential elements of attraction - WIT, CHARM and KINK. Included Scents: Cucumber Water, Grapefruit, Pink Lotus, Dark Vanilla, Bourbon, Truffle + Gardenia.” And best of all ~ as a gift to encourage experimenting, it even comes with a Experience Guide to help lead you through some of their favorite scent combinations to get you started! Take a peek at all the little design details on the next page!

It’s holiday season here at NOTCOT, and we’re doing our annual Gift Guides, Coupons and Giveaways! Just our little way of giving a big hug to awesome brands and readers as we close out 2010!

UPDATE: Congrats to Evan in Dallas, TX!

NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #4 is here ~ and today our friends from kidrobot are giving one lucky reader: a super Labbit Prize Pack containing: a 24-Inch ‘Stache Labbit, a 5-Inch Series 1 Happy Labbit, a 5-Inch Corpsam Labbit, a Series 2 5-Inch Happy Labbit, a XMas Wonderland Super Fun Pack 1.5-Inch, and a Series 4 Mini Smorkin’ Labbit! The bundle is pretty unbelievable, it blew my mind when the box arrived at my house, and that HUGE mustached labbit popped out. It’s far bigger than i imagined, and so soft and adorable! You can see more pics of the prize on the next page - as well as a kidrobot coupon!

For a chance to win, leave a comment by midnight on Dec 2nd (PST) ~ telling us why you’re a good home for this herd of labbits. Please note, winners will be contacted by email!

Series 2 5-Inch Happy Labbit

a XMas Wonderland Super Fun Pack 1.5-Inch

a 5-Inch Series 1 Happy Labbit

top of the 5-Inch Series 1 Happy Labbit box

a 5-Inch Corpsam Labbit

a Series 4 Mini Smorkin’ Labbit

For a chance to win a Labbit Prize Pack containing: a 24-Inch ‘Stache Labbit, a 5-Inch Series 1 Happy Labbit, a 5-Inch Corpsam Labbit, a Series 2 5-Inch Happy Labbit, a XMas Wonderland Super Fun Pack 1.5-Inch, and a Series 4 Mini Smorkin’ Labbit from kidrobot, leave a comment by midnight on Dec 2nd (PST) ~ telling us why you’re a good home for this herd of labbits.

And check out the rest of our 2010 Gift Guides, Coupons and Giveaways! Happy Holidays!

p.s. For your shopping pleasure:

Working on upcoming gift guides, i was checking out what was new at Best Made Co. with the axes and axe slings and it seems they have expanded their store quite a bit! And in it - i was smitten by the Best Made All Purpose First Aid Kit, the image of all the contents laid out especially. And the case itself is quite lovely in that minimalist designer way… As they say “OSHA certified. Approved by the US Forest Service. Made in the USA. An all-purpose first aid kit specifically designed for woodsmen, loggers,and Best Made customers. Comes securely packed in a sturdy metal dust and moisture resistant box with hanging brackets. Not only makes for a indispensable life saving tool,but will also look great hanging on your wall.”

The first question of course that came to mind when i saw this was… why did the Axe company need to suddenly go into the First Aid business? I wonder if there were any incidents? Then again, i guess it is a pretty awesome looking accessory to have around the studio/house. See a close up of the box on the next page.

Contents include:certi-strip (16), certi-gauze (2), certi-gauze roll (2), triangular bandage with pins (3),wire splint, adhesive certi-tape (2), antiseptic BZK towlette (10),silver mylar rescue blanket, CPRotector mouth barrier, elastic bandageforceps, nitrile gloves, bandage scissors, trauma pad, and afirst aid wall chart.

Box measures 6.5”w x 9.5”h x 2.5”d

It’s holiday season here at NOTCOT, and we’re doing our annual Gift Guides, Coupons and Giveaways! Just our little way of giving a big hug to awesome brands and readers as we close out 2010!

UPDATE: Congrats to Sam in Smethwick, England!

NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #3 is here ~ and today our friends from Branch are giving one lucky reader: A large Bunny Foundling, a Cork Trivet, a Ceramic Birdhouse, and a Japanese Elm Bonsai Tree Kit. The whole bundle can be yours to keep, or split it up to share with friends ~ no matter how you do it, each of the items has been hand picked to make your home a little more NOTCOT! A bunny for fun, the cork trivet is amazing in the kitchen, the birdhouse is perhaps more a gift for the birds in the yard, and the Japanese Elm Bonsai will take time to grow with you over the years! Branch is all about sustainable design for living, and this is only a tiny selection of what they are all about! Coupon on the next page as well…

For a chance to win, leave a comment by midnight on Dec 1st (PST) ~ sharing how you go green creatively at home.

Here’s a coupon to help with your shopping!

Holiday season is officially here! Happy Black Friday! In addition to the NOTCOT Holiday Coupons and the many Holiday Giveaways that will be unfolding daily… here’s a gift guide inspired by the latest addition to the NOTCOT family ~ NotVentures. I can’t believe it’s been merely a month old already, and since it’s launch i’ve been from LA to San Francisco, Germany, Italy, Japan, and off to New York Monday! Beyond inspiring us with things to see and places to go… it’s also inspired some fun products, perfect for gifting your favorite jetsetter! See my picks on the next page…

Metropolitan Cityscapes cut out of stainless steel, limited edition of 250 each : 1 - New York, 2 - Tokyo, 3 - Berlin

1. Rimowa Barneys special edition in Dark Metallic Green
2. Trip Suitcase
3. Mandarina Duck Work Trolley

1. LUXE World Grand Tour Box - or a Bespoke Option! (pick your own box and guides)
2. Mr & Mrs Smith Travel & Hotel Guide Books - Stunning images, carefully curated selection, and engaging first hand stories about each hotel
3. Louis Vuitton City Guides

1. Transit Issue Nomad Case - Everything you need to keep those random ideas from being lost!
2. Human Gear GoToobs - I never travel without these - silicone pods with built in suction cups that will hold perfectly to any bathroom, from marble showers to hostel shared bathrooms…
3. TRX Exercise system - Navy Seals do it ~ and you can toss the tiny bag into your luggage and get a good workout in whether you’re in a hotel room or on a safari.

It’s definitely Notventures Friday here at NOTCOT! Whether you’re after polar bears or scuba diving between tectonic plates, you’ll find all the inspiration you need for your next adventure at Notventures. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

It’s holiday season here at NOTCOT, and we’re doing our annual Gift Guides, Coupons and Giveaways! Just our little way of giving a big hug to awesome brands and readers as we close out 2010!

UPDATE: Congrats to Simon in Toronto, Canada!

Happy Black Friday! NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway #2 is here ~ and today our friends over at Wejetset are giving one lucky reader an incredible NotVentures ready prize package containing: Moleskine City Notebooks, a pair of Classic Summer Safari shades, a Hideo Bean 19 Suitcase, an Arkitip Tokyo laptop sleeve, a pair of AIAIAI’s Track Headphones, and a Jack Spade’s Tarpaulin duffle.

For a chance to win, leave a comment by midnight on Nov 30th (PST) ~ sharing where you would go if you were to load up your new suitcase and jump on a plane, train, automobile… NOW!

p.s. You can also get 15% off at Wejetset using the code: NOTCOT from 11/25/10 - 1/3/11! (See more Coupons)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! To kick off the holiday shopping season, before we even launch into Gift Guides, and just as Giveaways have started to kick in… today seems like the perfect day to share some generous coupons from our friends to help with your shopping! Afterall, between all the family and thanksgiving madness, it seems like the perfect time to figure out some of the perfect gifts for each every loved one. So, shall we? Go see all the deals on the next page from lots of NOTCOT favorites!

Blackbox Case has just launched! Beautiful wooden Macbook Pro cases hand made in Colorado and just sent over an awesome email with some great pics! Weighing in at a mere 1.5 pounds, its pretty light, AND apparently hard to crush… but most intriguing of all are the stunning details you have to see up close on the next page! Each is hand numbered, comes with a typographically stunning card welcoming you to their family by their Chief Dreamer! Each case is hand oiled with high end Tung oil finish that takes four days to complete. “It just feels velvety smooth.” Each case is precision cut, hand sanded, hand rubbed, and personally inspected throughout the crafting process. “Your case starts as two pieces of hardwood that are milled on our CNC machine. This means that your computer will fit in your case perfectly. Not tight. Not loose. Just right every time.” Stunning, right? Sadly only available for macbook pros right now, i could really use one for my air!

Here’s an excerpt from the email i received:

Why the name Blackbox?
~Because I am a flight instructor in my spare time and it will keep your computer safe like the infamous blackbox in an airplane.

Who the heck are you? Do you really make these?
~Yep. We’re serious. We have engineers, woodworkers, and artists handcrafting these full-time. We’re making these with love in Golden, Colorado.

What’s with the branding-iron-logo?
~I’m from a small cow town in Eastern Colorado, so I thought it was fitting. That and it just looks sexy.

Can it really survive being dropped from an airplane 20,000 ft. in the air?
~I’m pretty sure it couldn’t but I can’t wait to try.

What computers does it fit?
~It is designed to fit a 15 in. and 13 in. MacBook Pro. You could try shaving the sides off that old PC laptop, but I don’t think that’s gonna work.

Take a peek at more details of the new Blackbox Case on the next page!

P.S. Use code “givethanks” will get $20 off at Blackbox Case.

It’s holiday season here at NOTCOT, and we’re doing our annual Gift Guides, Coupons and Giveaways! Just our little way of giving a big hug to awesome brands and readers as we close out 2010!

UPDATE: Congrats to Benji in Chicago, IL and Larry in Rockville, MD

So for our first NOTCOT Holiday Giveaway of 2010 ~ i’m excited to announce that we’re the first to share this new Jungle themed Tegu set to the world! It’s the latest to join their Natural, Mahogany, and Tints sets… a mix of the greens in the Tints as well as both woods! Our friends from Tegu are giving two lucky readers: A bundle of the new Jungle 52 Piece Set, the Mahogany 26 piece set, and two Mini Felt Travel Totes!

For a chance to win leave a comment by midnight on Nov 28th (PST) ~ sharing what the first thing you’d build would be to make use of these awesome magnetic woody blocks!

And don’t forget ~ there is always Tegu Live! If you can’t think of ideas, or need some inspiration, you can hop online and tweet/message their master builder who will build whatever you wish LIVE! (Psssst, they did something super special to announce the jungle set - dedicated to us! with music! See the video!) … and take a peek at some of their Jungle colored creations on the next page!

And here’s a peek at the cute little felt cased Travel sets!

For a chance to win, a bundle of the new Jungle 52 Piece Set, the Mahogany 26 piece set, and two Mini Felt Travel Totes from Tegu, leave a comment by midnight on Nov 28th (PST) ~ sharing what the first thing you’d build would be to make use of these awesome magnetic woody blocks!

And check out the rest of our 2010 Gift Guides, Coupons, and Giveaways! Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and the season of overindulgence is on its way. Get ready to feast with this mouth watering roundup from Tasteologie and Liqurious. To find out more about each post, click on its image.

Mesmerizing isn’t it? The most amazing things come through from the CIA - just discovered this in my email from their newsletter! The beauty and simplicity of these gifs are sucking me in tonight. So so beautiful, and Richard Wilkinson basically captures his work flow in photoshop - saving them into high res animated gifs you can view on his blog! It’s as if you’re watching the image paint itself… yes, it’s nearly 3am, and you’ll see why i’ve gone quiet the last few days as i’ve been obsessively working on the giveaways and gift guides launching this week… but for now… aren’t these incredible? These beautiful illustrations were for a 5 page spread for The Telegraph Magazine’s ‘Luxury’ supplement. See a few more of my favorites and a peek at the spread on the next page…

Amazing, right? You seriously must watch them in high res over at Richard Wilkinson’s blog!

Here’s a peek at the final spread!

This post is sponsored by American Express - content is mine, they are enabling me to ramble on small biz today!

Happy almost small business day!!! It’s coming - this saturday! November 27th! Loving the idea of this new “holiday” to celebrate the small business in our lives, especially around the holidays! On small businesses, isn’t it amazing how nearly anyone can be (or is!) a small business? With a dash of internet mixed with amazing platforms and services, from blogs to etsy to kickstarter to kiva to ebay, it has never been easier to pop up a new business… Small Business day is an amazing idea to help nurture those who are starting up businesses, and for the big ones to look back and remember where they came from… after all, you certainly can’t become a BIG business without first starting small…

So, how will we be celebrating? Well, it’s time for our annual NOTCOT Gift Guides and Giveaways to launch! Holidays have always been one of my favorite times to help support the amazing designers and small businesses we celebrate year round on NOTCOT ~ as well a chance to give back to all of you amazing readers! This is the time we invite some of our favorite small businesses/brands to donate giveaways/discounts for readers ~ giving them an extra chance to show off their awesomeness, and provide a mind blowing collection of gifts for you! This year we have 30 amazing giveaways starting later today and unfolding daily throughout the season. Coupled with our gift guides and our page of exclusive coupons ~ we hope you’ll have no problem supporting small businesses for Small Business Saturday with us along with American Express!

American Express is presenting Small Business Saturday, November 27. They’re offering statement credits to people who shop at small businesses, advertising for small-business owners, and donations to Girls Inc. for “Likes” of the Facebook page. Join the celebration by clicking the “Like” button below and visiting the Small Business Saturday page to learn more about the program and read the terms and conditions that apply.

So are you ready? Personally, as a fellow small business, i can’t wait!

Virtual museums, grand spiraling staircases and paper weaponry are only a few highlights of this week’s NOTCOT.org roundup. To find out more about each post, click on its image.

This is a sponsored post from our friends at Currency℠ a service from American Express! A new site focused on helping you make smart decisions when it comes to money ~ and NOTCOT even has a column there showcasing some of our favorite products that are worth every penny!

Finances as a Work of Art? Sort of… Thanks to Unique American Express Site

Navigating your finances these days can be like trying to understand a piece of contemporary art. Although it’s hard to make sense of it at first, it’s really not all that complex once you break it down. The Currency℠ site from American Express helps do just that with resources dedicated to helping young adults simplify their money matters, plan for the future, and take control of their financial lives.

To get a good sense of all the site has to offer, start with the Currency 101 blog that provides an overview of the site’s offerings. The “Spending” section is all about making your money work for you. “Planning & Savings” helps prepare you for your future—managing your finances a year from now, or starting to put money away for retirement. “Big Decisions” helps prepare you financially for life’s milestones. Surf around and score financial strategies on all parts of your life: saving up to get a pet, cheap ideas for going out, how to negotiate your lease, how to handle student loan payments.

Beyond reading the Currency℠ site’s articles and blog posts, users can take advantage of some cool interactive content as well. There’s Currency Coursework, which brings the classroom to you, educating users about personal finance topics with guidance from Knowledge@Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Log in and learn—and there won’t be any midterms.

And for iPhone users, the Social Currency app, powered by Foursquare, lets you check in and share your purchasing experiences and deals with your friends, while racking up points and earning badges.

Head to GetCurrency.com, and get socially and sensibly savvy with your money.

Justine just flew over to LA from London ~ and sadly the upside to terrible turbulence turned out to be amazing clouds! The type that look like a world of their own hovering above ours, as i cleaned up the pics, i couldn’t help looking for care bears in cloud cars. Then again, in the last pic, you will see the bizarre object she looked up to see flying by… turns out it was another plane! But the most fascinating part about this flight was seeing all the ice! And the fractal like patterns and twists and turns of the roads jumping out so crisply… not to mention watching the layers of clouds making incredible shadows on the ice! Take a peek at it all on the next page!

Who doesn’t love a perfectly glimmering glass bottle? Somewhere between a studded crystal bottle and a discoball lies this Absolut Glimmer limited edition bottle ~ this comes following the Absolut Disco, Absolut Masquerade and Absolut Rock Edition of the previous holiday seasons. i must say, it feels even better in person than you’d expect ~ and i love that this design is the actual glass forming the texture, not something overlayed on their classic bottle! They threw a launch dinner for the bottle in NYC, which the lovely Sean and Anna of Sub-Studio attended for us! And of course the event was all sparkles as well ~ from the chandeliers and candles lighting the bottles to the glittering skyline views across the Hudson River from the Chelsea Art Towers. Beautifully ornate plexiglass tree-like chandelier of Absolut Glimmer bottles constructed behind the bar ~ Simon Ford mixing deliciously complex cocktails! With edible flower garnishes, 8-10 ingredients and more… and to end the night, Cee-Lo performed… on a sparkly floor! So take a peek at their adventures, as well as some of my close up pics playing with the bottle that was waiting for me when i got home from the round the world adventures!

So that was the launch party ~ and here is a close up peek at the bottle in my yard… I love the way the glass of the bottle is actually shaped to glimmer, and not just some jacket/etc as they have often done in the past…

Black and white? Wood blocks? Golden Ratio? How could i not give in to it? Besides, a gorgeous desk toy to help distract and inspire while i work my way through the fun and craziness that is the upcoming Holiday Gift Guides and Giveaways… perfect! Swiss company, Naef, makes some of the nicest quality wood toys, and they appeal to the beautiful simplicity of geometric shapes to create unthinkably inspiring complexities. Their description of the Naef Tectus? “Impressive architecture This cube is divided several times in adherence to the golden ratio and surrounded by black shapes. During play, these become foundations, walls or roofs and a player the architect. Everything fits into each other harmoniously.”

Ok i keep getting far too distracted constructing buildings across my desk as i attempt to write this post. So go take a look at the unboxing of this gorgeous Naef Tectus on the next page…

Satisfy your wanderlust with a peek at NOTCOT’s latest addition, NotVentures. To find out more about your next escape, click on the individual images.

Leave it to a Louis Vuitton case, a beautifully sleek sculpture… and a retro modern manta ray meets metropolis feeling beauty of a concept i couldn’t stop staring at during the LA Auto Show. Though it debuted in Geneva in 09, there is something so striking about it in person i couldn’t resist. The Infiniti Essence Concept! “Celebrating 20 years as a creator of performance luxury vehicles, Infiniti introduces a vision crafted to embody our core values and inspire future design: the Infiniti Essence. This dramatic styling, technology and performance statement is a 592-hp gasoline/electric hybrid coupe defined by exterior lines sculpted to express fluidity and speed. Destined to influence production models of the future, the Infiniti Essence vividly captures the balance between grace and power, and the unrestrained possibility of Inspired Performance.” What IS new however is this 300 piece, limited-edition, solid resin, Infiniti Essence model which costs $300, and it can be ordered with a Louis Vuitton carrying case, available at Infiniti Lifestyle. For now see more pics of the case, sculpture, and concept car on the next page.

It’s inevitably become car week here at NOTCOT, between global adventures with Mercedes-Benz ~ spending today at the LA Auto Show Press Events… and more! So while i was watching the unveiling of CLS 63 AMG and the Diavel, Linhchi hopped over to Volkswagen at the Audi design center right by the Santa Monica Airport. In addition to celebrating their 20th anniversary in California, there was a sneak peak of the new 2012 Volkswagen Eos.

The president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, Jonathan Browning, emphasized that VW is all about a balance of style/fun and function, a perfect fit for California. The new convertible Eos that was unveiled is currently the only hardtop convertible with a built-in sunroof. I guess it’s perfect for those moments when it’s too cold out to have the top down, but you still want to enjoy the SoCal sun? Check out pics from the event on the next page, from a VW car on the wall to dogs being carried to Gossip Girl cameos…

I was mesmerized by all these glasses surrounding the bar.. just one slip and… !

The 2012 Eos unveiled

I couldn’t help noticing this funny little dog in the middle of this pic.

And the lonely staff person at the back entrance right by the big red VW car mounted on the wall. I wanted to lie underneath and take a pic but I was too self-conscious…

Autumnal colors are taking over at Tasteologie and Liqurious this week with their warm, delectable reds, yellows and golds. To find out more about each tasty post, click on its individual image.

It’s 3:30am, so please forgive the random nature of the images for this post, but wanted to give you a peek from tonight’s launch before i went to bed… Here’s a look at the new Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG in addition to the new Ducati Diavel ~ and during the press event, Gabriele del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati came on stage together with Ola Kallenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG, they announced their new partnership to be working closely together! From AMG becoming one of the Moto GP team sponsors to starting to include Ducati bikes at AMG events and vice versa. It was interesting to see both machines in matte finishes, the CLS 63 in a matte grey, and the Diavel in a matte black/matte carbon fiber… both having such strong lines, the curves definitely stood out well in the lighting…

Ok, seriously, have to get some sleep before ending up at the press conferences in four or five hours, so sweet dreams, and there are lots of random picture details to feast upon on the next page!

And then out stepped Gabriele del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati… and together with Ola Kallenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG, they announced their new partnership to be working closely together! From AMG becoming one of the Moto GP team sponsors to starting to include Ducati bikes at AMG events and vice versa…

And on to the Ducati Diavel details…

Freshly launched, an adorable series of prints ~ Amanda Visell’s Posters for Girls… while my natural inclination towards things too girl focused is that it’s reverse sexist against boys… (and really, i’m just not that girly pink kind of girl)… i do find myself wanting to gift these prints to a bunch of my friends who are new moms with adorable baby girls. Seriously, what girl doesn’t need the poster of the knight? To grow up remembering the importance of having the ability of self-saving (also dragon-friend-making is key!) - granted whether/when you USE that ability is a whole other lesson. I look at the maverick one, and i just think of poor goose. and iceman… but she is looking pretty bad ass with the parachute and aviators. And the captain is pretty cute too ~ though, the wild bigfoot beast frightens me a tiny bit, but the trees are so happy! See them all on the next page!

There are some fascinating design shifts happening at Mercedes-Benz ~ from the design studio in Sindelfingen to Como to Tokyo to Carlsbad, the message was clear - the hunt is on for “Perfect Aesthetics” and in doing so, they are aggressively pushing their designs to be more fresh, young, emotional, and sexy ~ phrases like “enjoyment of innovation” + “inspire our customers” + “sensuality and joy” + “importance of perception” kept recurring in addition to talk of the future and fascination and playfulness. It was most definitely a buzzwordfest, but the excitement and passion of the design teams was impossible to ignore. There was an inescapable giddiness throughout the week around where the future may take us, and a need to think far beyond their more traditional production vehicles. Steffen Kohl’s gung ho push from the design side to gain the freedom to explore the insane ideas are guaranteed to frighten corporate types a bit. It’s inspiring to see his team indulge in the ideas designers dream about as students ~ you know, that awesomely idealistic time when you believe absolutely anything is possible?

A big part of this is the fight to create more artistic explorations through sculpture to push abstract concepts. The idea of art being key to Mercedes-Benz design strategies as well as a beautiful way to tease designs earlier in the year is intriguing. And i love these form studies of Oliver Samson, Thomas Stopka,Yves Renaud, and Sylvain Wehnert from Karim Habib’s team. Exploring lightweight forms to play with strength, perspective, and transparency, the results resemble polygons, honeycombs (all sharing one central perspective point), string art, and woven chaos. See them all on the next page!

As a reminder ~ here’s the first sculpture they released… a teaser of the CLS as if emerging from liquid metal ~ or draped with their signature silver clothes before unveiling…

Exploring the lightweight nature of polygons…

All of the honeycombs are focused into the same central point ~ and as a result, moving around the sculpture creates a fascinating exploration of transparency and visual openings and closings for a unique optical illusion of sorts…

Weaving in an organized chaos of sorts, playing with density through transparency…

Inspiration for shaping with strips…

String art creating a nearly batmobile like web…

Prefabs, packaging and puppies, this week’s NOTCOT.org roundup has it all. To find out more about each post, click on its image.

Smart Fashion! Inevitable pun I suppose, but it’s both intelligent, and Smart - like the car. On unexpected design surprises, the last thing i expected when literally popping into Japan for an afternoon to visit Mercedes-Benz’s Tokyo studio, was to be drawn to the FASHION. The functional details worked into these two outfits are too fun not to focus on ~ and they are in fact, accessories to further flesh out the lifestyle they imagine along with the Smart escooter and concepts. Noteworthy details? The woman’s leather jacket has a button on back protector while riding… and when unbuttoned it also doubles as a clutch! Protective AND hands free? The designs on the dress are all made of reflective ribbon ~ perfect to keep you safer en route, yet also playful in a club. The skirt can be shorted with a quick tug to create cute rippled accents and bring it to a perfectly short length ~ but if that length may show a little too much when you hop on the scooter ~ easily lengthen it while riding! The men’s jacket has nice cuff details to protect your knuckles, yet is still sleek and doesn’t scream riding gear.

Random fun fact for design kids ~ the Mercedes Benz design team embraces “Cross Over Designers” (i.e. non-traditional automotive designers) and allows their designers to really focus on their strengths… There are 8-10 designers that focus on light design! They brought on an ex-Adidas shoe designer to focus on fun details because they loved his sketching style. One of their material & trim folks is a fashion designer… so maybe its no wonder that these “cross over designers” can add fresh perspectives and more well rounded concepts like these! There’s a certain thoughtfulness and completeness to the concept being taken so far as to include lifestyle accessories that strike a functionally chic balance in the Smart’s scooter fashion… take a peek at the details on the next page!

Here’s the fourth post in our Inspiration series! Sponsored by Veer.com ~ we get to have some fun and go image researching across the internet around random themes inspiring us at the moment.. and share what we find! This time i got lost exploring the Totems and Tikis i found in Veer.com! There’s something so inspiring and calming about these icons and creatures ~ Check it out on the next page!

Totem Pole at the Aboriginal Centre by Christine Rondeau

Imm Living Totem Cups designed by Rob Southcott

Totem Poles in Stanley Park by gripsobananaprune

Modern Totem Pole by Rabsteen

Totem Pole by ThreeIfByBike

Totem Poles by Rich Anderson

Roppongi ToyTotem by Mikeydangerous

Totem Pole detail2 by tgreyfox

Here’s a peek at what i found on Veer ~ check it all out in my totem album!

Today Mercedes-Benz unveiled its 1:1 scale model of the Biome concept car ~ their entry into this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge: 1000 pound car designed in their Carlsbad studio. Honestly, it’s one thing to dream up the future on paper/screens, another to make scale models… but to see the life size version today was spectacular! This sleek futuristic model plays with the notion that from the DNA of Mercedes, an organic skeletal structure can literally be grown into a beautiful minimalist bio-futuristic car, with a fierce almost plane like nose, wheels that are reminiscent of plane turbines, and a tron like glow… The interior skeletal structure even allows passengers to comfortably sit as if lounging together, a layout resembling seeds in a pod, with their heads coming together in the center of the car! The last few days has resulted in some incredible design inspiration, forward looking design trends, and so many intriguing details to get lost in… so let’s kick things off with tons of pics of the new life size models of the Biome on the next page! (as well as a peek at the model making and the adorable mini model they gifted us!)

How adorable is this sleek glossy white model they gave us? In a fun embroidered oakley case…

As for the official info:

Mercedes-Benz Biome

Symbiosis: Light Technologies from Nature

The Biome: The Mercedes-Benz Biome is an ultralight vehicle that utilizes technologies from nature to achieve unparalleled efficiency and seamless integration into the ecosystem.

Mercedes-Benz Symbiosis: Mercedes-Benz Symbiosis is a system in which the vehicle becomes part of the ecosystem like the leaves of a tree. Symbiosis vehicles collect energy from the sun and store it in chemical bonds, in the form of a fluid called BioNectar4534. Mercedes has also developed technology to retrofit trees with receptors which can harvest their excess solar energy into BN4534. This creates an incentive to plant more trees and collect more energy, while also helping the ecosystem. The vehicle can be composted after its lifespan is complete or used as building material.

Partnership With Nature: The Symbiosis vehicle forms a seamless part of the ecosystem through green technologies. Most of the energy used to power the vehicles comes from the sun. It is stored in a lightweight grown material called BioFibre. It is much lighter than metal or synthetic composites, but stronger than steel when mature. It is grown in the Mercedes-Benz Nursery through proprietary DNA. The customer’s specific desires are genetically engineered into the Star and the vehicle grows when this combines with the Seed capsule.

Mercedes-Benz Nursery: All Mercedes-Benz Symbiosis vehicles are grown in an ecologically sustainable nursery, using primarily organic materials.

Growth from Two Seeds: The interior of the Biome grows from Mercedes-Benz DNA in the front star, when it fuses with the seed. The exterior grows from the rear star, creating the shape. The wheels are grown separately from four unique seeds.

Technologies from Nature: Mercedes Benz Symbiosis vehicles release pure oxygen into the environment, helping urban areas to meet air quality standards.

Designers: Hubert Lee, Christopher Rhoades, Nicolas Garfias, Alan Barrington, Daniel Kim, Benjamin Messmer, Jack Luttig

I just went literally around the world in 4 days! And for all who agreed it sounded both awesome and horrifying all at once… Mercedes-Benz managed to make it impressively painless, luxuriously comfortable even ~ i actually may have both seen more and slept far more than usual ~ as i was catapulted between time zones so quickly, my body had yet to completely notice before ending up right back here in LA! So forgive me for going quiet the last few days… i honestly can’t recall the last time i’ve actually had so little internet (and barely enough time to even panic about it!) I’ve just touched back down to LA, though currently in Laguna Beach for a bit before LA Auto Week kicks off. The gist of the trip is “Timeless Design” where we visit 4 of Mercedes’ six global design studios, one after the other! So on weds night i left LA, ended up in Stuttgart Thurs night (via Munich) to see the Sindelfingen studio on Friday, then quickly to a private jet to Milan, where we drive to see the Como studio - spend the night in Milan (next to the duomo!) - saturday morning we take the jet to Frankfurt to hop on the beautiful A380 to Tokyo - pop into the Tokyo hotel for and hour and a half to freshen up before heading to the Tokyo studio - and then hop on another jumbo jet right back to LA… and here i am in Laguna Beach SUNDAY AFTERNOON! …with an hour before the meeting with the futurist, a million pictures to sort out… and we’ve yet to visit the Carlsbad studio, or play with the cars, or see the auto show. So, here’s some quick NotVentures/Operation Window Seating literally around the world on the next page to inspire you… the globe has never felt quite so small or diverse as it does right now, my head is still spinning trying to keep track of all the places we’ve been and things we’ve seen in such a tiny amount of time… surreal to say the least! While this is certainly not everything, and a bunch of flights were in the dark… see some of the most inspiring views i found!

p.s. As for the actual design inspiration and incredible studio peeks… coming soon. Somewhere between catching up on all the pics and making sense of a bigger story as the trip comes to a close!

Sunset flying in to Munich from LA

Dramatic clouds over the planes in stuttgart…

Windiness as we boarded…

The logo amused me…

Landing in Milan…

Mobile pic as we drove to Como…

Views from El Gatto Nero in Como… breathtaking!

Mobile pic of the duomo in the morning…

Jetting it from Milan to Frankfurt…

Sleeeeeeep from Frankfurt to Tokyo i was pretty much out for 8/10 hours…

Then we appear at the hotel, and the views from the room…

Views from the bar…

More sleeeeeeep on the Tokyo to LA flight, and i wake up over San Francisco… to this view of the peninsula…

Immigration was a breeze today at LAX, and doing this trip with only hand luggage, i was out in no time! Quick little roadtrip… and i’m now posting this quickly to you here in Laguna Beach on the balcony!

So there’s a quick look at my Weds night till Sunday afternoon through windows… more to come on all the adventures soon!

When the world is your oyster, it can be hard to decide what to do and where to go next. Here are just a few inspirations from Notventures for your next escape.

About to start some serious time zone hopping over the next few days with Mercedes to visit all of their global design studios (Stuttgart, Como, Tokyo, Carlsbad) in a whirlwind 4 days… so while i sit in the airport lounge before the madness begins, wanted to share some of the incredibly inspiring delights showing up on Tasteologie and Liqurious this week! Top 4 rows are Tasteologie followed by a final row of drinks! As usual ~ click the images to find out more!

The Tegu guy made me a castle! With a draw bridge! Out of magnetic wood blocks! LIVE! That was my silly excitement this morning as they let me put in the first request as Tegu LIVE! went… well, live. These playful magnetic wood building blocks made from sustainable tropical hardwoods in Honduras are inspired by the gorgeous european wood toys… with a magnetic twist. While kids of all ages can make anything they can dream up, to help inspire everyone, Tegu and Poke NY have teamed up to build a non stop live stream of a mysterious man in a tegu lab coat of sorts who will take your requests via Twitter, Facebook, and livestream for things to build. And poof just like that, he builds them for you! And then sadly deconstructs them as quickly as they came to be. Though, i’m told not to worry, since all designs will be archived for future viewing! If you’re curious what they are capable of, go make your request at Tegu LIVE!. They sent me a few cases to play with, and their packaging is awesomely fun as well… so take a peek on the next page for the products, packaging, AND my castle in action!

Look! He’s going to build me a castle!

Castle in progress…

Draw bridge open…

Draw bridge close…

And just like that he rips it down in front of you! The pain!

At home i built a crazier castle of sorts…

Even has a solid foundation in case of floods… later on i built a foot bridge as well, but forgot to take a pic of that…

I have a tendency to need to open all boxes that arrive… and couldn’t resist making a huge pile.

Then obsessively organizing it…

Reverse unboxing begin!

This week’s NOTCOT.org roundup includes a cloud you can sleep on, yaks, and even a table connect app for your iphone. To find out about each of these posts and much more, click on the individual images.

Last in my series of posts about my adventures with smart TVs ~ sponsored by the fun folks at Intel’s smart TVs! As usual ~ content and pics and all that fun is all me and they are supporting me to do it!

So what ELSE can you do with a smart TV? Apparently be watched. Watch people. (and no, not the vid chat type we talked about before.) That sort of thing. Ok, so maybe it’s not THAT creepy, though i suppose it kind of is in the example i’ll show you! But really, what we’re talking about here are security cameras! Logitech’s in particular! Indoor, outdoor, night vision security cameras! I was amazed that visit to the Logitech Loft in LA ~ you could peek and see in to the kitchen and balcony of the Logitech Loft in SF! And vice versa! And all through the Google TV ~ with the Logitech Alert app. But ok realistically, this isn’t awesome just for co-loft-shenanigans… think about it as a home security system that you can check WHILE watching TV (or internetting, or whatever else you’re probably doing with your TV in the center of your home). There’s a beauty to not NEEDING the computer or external screens to check in on your security cameras ~ be it for the backyard, front door, or vacation home… why not just use the screens you have, including the TV? And while you’re watching TV you can even picture in picture it… so take a peek on the next page of the Logitech Alert system i saw in action on Google TV!

Hit a few buttons on the Revue keyboard an we’re at the Logitech Alert app… checking out the kitchen in SF!

… and the SF patio!

Views outside the LA loft… and you can see where the camera was mounted in the first pic…

Picture in picture! Some movie playing on tv in the corner of the view…

All the pieces you need to make it happen!

So, you saw the pictures of the Kahlúa diner at Zarela as well as the new ad campaigns ~ well, naturally, when Sean sent over his pics, i got fixated on his teaser pics of the Kahlúa Shaker they gifted him… and then begged for more pics! It’s such a minimalist bullet of a shaker in acrylic, but so playful too! And love the matte black paired with the vibrant firey red that the lid looks like it nearly floats on! Close ups on the next page!

Kahlúa hosted an incredible dinner at Zarela in NYC to announce the launch of their new campaign celebrating its Veracruz heritage, and Sean from Sub-Studio went to experience it for us! He came back with some amazing photos of the event, and it sounds like some serious wanderlust for Veracruz! Which is in turn making me crave mexican food and a Veracruz adventure as well! The cocktails, decor, and new Kahlúa adverts look so beautiful and delicious! Take a peek on the next page to see (and read!) more of Sean’s adventures with Kahlúa!

P.s. the new Delicioso ads are pretty hilarious… they’re embedded on the next page for you!

Ok first! TO get you into the mood ~ check out these hilarious new ads

“Created by TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York and directed by Frederick Bond, the campaign features three 30-second television spots, shot in Veracruz, Mexico and featuring Ana de la Reguera, a prominent Mexican actress. Reguera was born and raised in Veracruz, and embodies the authenticity and alluring personality of Kahlúa.”

NOW… on to Sean’s account of his Kahlúa adventures…

The night started with a cocktail hour to get acquainted with both Kahlua and some fellow New Yorkers. The crowd was a mix of writers, bloggers, PR types, and Mexican cultural influencers (artists, film makers, etc.). I had a few Kahlua and gingers with the 3 brothers from Villa-Lobos and Matt from the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen Blog.

Next up was the preview of the ‘Delicioso’ campaign starring Ana de la Reguera. The campaign features two very witty commercials about Veracruz, where Kahlua originates. The first commercial proved that everything sounds better in spanish, and the second about the unlikely pairings in Veracruz. The last bit of the preview was the ‘making of’ for the commercials, which made me want to go to Veracruz so badly. The vibrant colors of the marketplace, the fun personalities, and the lush fields of sugarcane and coffee were so picturesque. Maybe our first family vacation will be to see this not-too-far-away place. Everyone I talked to who had been there had only good things to say about Veracruz.

Upstairs from the bar was the setting for Zarela’s dinner. A wall of little chotchkies follows the stairs up to this shrine-ish thing with smiling skeletons all over it. Before each course, Zarela explained the flavors and ingredients for each dish and their historical, geographical, and cultural importance in Mexico. Veracruz is a port city with many different global influences, so the food reflects this - some ingredients from the mountains, some from the sea, some cool, some hot.

Zarela treated us with four dishes that exemplify the mixtures of all these ingredients. My favorite was the Pescado a la pimienta (White fish, cod or grouper, with a savory black pepper sauce) paired with the Kahlua and ginger, both prime examples of simple and fresh. The Pollo con chile seco (Chicken and dried chilies, cooked with vanilla and oranges) was a smooth counterpoint to the zippiness of the fish. The desert was Ante de almendra (Sponge cake with almond sauce) paired with a Kahlúa Martini was a dangerous mix of Kahlua, vodka, and espresso.

After watching the 30-second tv spots about the city, I put it on my list of places to go. Ana, who is fiercely proud of her Veracruz heritage, gave a toast - “Jarocho, a huevos!” which loosely translates to “I’m from Veracruz to the balls!” Any place that people love this much must be worth a visit.

On the way out, we were given a little bag with a nice modern drink shaker with some smart detailing. I like the nice touches of the red stripe, the coffee color, and translucent strainer. (But more to come on this gorgeous shaker SOON!)

And a peek at a few more of the new ads…

I must admit ~ i’m secretly envoius of all the sites and magazines that will get to run these awesome ads! ; )

OOH ~ and to learn more about Veracruz ~ check out this 5 min video about it:

Ok and on this ever continuing post ~ just had to come back and add screenshots of the website design ~ love it! And the iPhone Talk About app is pretty funny too… for all those moments you don’t know what to say. Great Works is the agency responsible for the new Kahlua site design, video spots on the website, and the TalkAbout mobile app.

Is Moonshine ready to try an take on tequila that’s been the new vodka as of late? The Original Moonshine from Stillhouse is the latest to launch, and i must say, i’m loving the bottle… from the XXXX on the fancified jug (somewhat like our Liqurious favicon/twitter avatar) to the howling wolf logo… and to be honest, i do love bottles with the finger loop (like Kraken that has two!) This is an 80-proof clear corn whiskey handcrafted in Culpeper, Virginia, using the only operational Prohibition-era copper pot still in the US. It’s the brainchild of entrepreneur Brad Beckerman and chef and restraunteur, Adam Perry Lang. They say the flavor is “most noticeable when sipped just shy of neat with a splash of pure water. When well bruised with ice, it transforms into a creamy, voluptuous, satiny texture.” But i have yet to taste it for myself. Other fun facts? It’s all natural, gluten free, and charcoal filtered!

The story of how the 3 year adventure designing this whiskey came to be - “I became obsessed with clear whiskey years ago when a fellow barbecue competitor shoved a jar in my face and said ‘drink this’ at a competition in the south, ” says Perry Lang.

Take a peek at some close up pics of fun old photos as well as the bottle on the next page!

HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY!!! To our incredible friends at the Thinkspace Gallery! Over the years, they have become one of my favorite LA galleries, launching so many artists i’ve fallen for! And on that note ~ you can take a peek at all of the pieces in the show online if you can’t make the opening tonight! My favorites from Audrey Kawasaki, Brian Viveros, and Camilla D’Errico are all on the next page! Take a peek! They are STUNNING! (And sadly sold already!)

Lelo INSIGNIA ~ the Swedish brand’s latest line of luxurious pleasure objects launched this week, marked with the triple loop infinity symbol! Taking the pleasure out of the bedroom, they even include a beautiful INSIGNIA Brooch in each gift box, which can easily be worn in plain view, as if part of a secret society, where anyone who responds or reacts to it, you’ll know they too… love… pleasure… and beautiful objects? The symbol also houses the three buttons on each of the objects in the collection (Alia, Isla, and Soraya) and each has a void through the shiny metallic core that you can slip your fingers through to easily grasp them. All are waterproof, powerful, and discreetly quiet, and come in a gift box that looks topographically inspired when the object is removed. See a close up of the design details as i unbox the Soraya on the next page, as well as a peek at the Alia and Isla.

I feel so silly ~ but i saw this and didn’t know how to charge it! Apparently it has a self healing silicone cover - so you just push the charger through the slight indentation!

It glows when pressed!

I’ve always been quite smitten and secretly lusting after Smythson’s Nancy Bag, as well as the darling clutch, and the tote is stunning too! There’s something so architecturally fascinating with the way they’ve managed to perfectly pinch/twist the leather into these square/ninja star like patterns. And with travel on the mind (thanks, NotVentures) and shopping for new bags to hand carry with my new MacBook Air… tonight i’m just staring at this beautiful Smythson Nancy Weekender Bag! See larger pics of it on the next page!

What goes together more naturally than food and drink? So this week, the top four rows are Tasteologie goodness ~ from Lace choc brownies to wooden kids mixers to smornies to chicken fried bacon… and the last row is Liqurious libations to accompany them… including adult chocolate milk, ice that will turn your drink black, and drinks that taste like savory meals (like burgers!) Click the pics to find out more!

In light of the launch of NotVentures and the recently unboxed MacBook Air… impulsively hopped a flight to celebrate ~ deciding to take a quick overnight trip up to SF… which resulted in some gorgeous midday cliche sunny california weather both yesterday and today! Exciting news ~ NO problems at all with 11” MacBook Air going through airport security in my bag!!! And it’s a breeze to pack, and starts up so quickly… perfect for quick work on the plane and at the airport… perfect to toss into a bag that doesn’t scream “laptop!”. And beyond that ~ being a gorgeous day, both ways, with incredible views, i’d be remiss not to give you another Operation Window Seat post! So mesmerizing watching the patterns that show up when looking at the world from above… and getting some literal distance and mental perspective… take a peek at my awesome mini-vacation on the next page!

Look! That’s me!

The macbbok air on the flight!

While in SF ~ took in views of the city ~ and peeks of the golden gate bridge ~ from the hotel balcony…

Then headed back to LA…

November is off to a great start over at NOTCOT.org. This week’s picks are dark, playful and seamlessly elegant. Whether you lust for tech, toys or TRON, it’s all in this week’s roundup. To find out more about each post, simply click on its image.

Ok ~ still waiting for files to transfer, so currently tethered to my desktop while the macbook air and macbook pro do their thing beside me… one is so tiny, the other now seems SO HUGE. So how about taking a peek at the actual Macbook Air unboxing? It’s lovely how streamlined the packaging is getting these days ~ this one could probably be slipped right into a shirt box! Also its ridiculous seeing the ipad stacked over 11” macbook air over the 15” macbook pro… honestly the iPad looks like its losing this war. Especially if the air can handle photoshop at least decently (my previous netbooks never quite managed this well enough to become a primary travel machine). And shaving a few pounds of my hand carry is something my back would LOVE. Also it opens up a whole new world of purse/carry on options… also lovely that the TSA is saying ok to not having to remove the 11” Air to go through security! I can’t even remember the last time i had the luxury of only having to remove my shoes and toiletries! As for why i had to try one out for myself ~ opening up a bunch of safari windows and loading up as many tabs as i could find for each simultaneously working wonderfully in the apple store convinced me… Keep in mind: air = .67 x 11.8 x 7.56 = 2.3 lbs vs ipad = .5 x 9.56 x 7.47 = 1.6 lbs oh and the mac book pro is just so much heavier and bigger, it’s no comparison. SO! Ready to see inside the box? And the size comparisons? To the next page!

Look from this view… it’s like invisible!!!

Far too much excitement today ~ there’s the NotVentures launch for starters! Then Mr. FedEx showed up with a Mac Book Air 11”! And while i giddily have to sit back and wait for it to take over my MBP for a few hours parasitically sucking data ~ i’m way too amused by the adorableness of the USB restore key… and the packaging of it! Have you see this thing up close? Held it? It’s kind of awesome. And reminds you how silly it is that other USB keys are any bigger… you can see it above next to my SD/USB cards i always have in my wallet/cameras/etc. There’s really little need for it to be any bigger, other than to make a toy out of it or something? Though i suppose it’s cute they evened out all 4 contacts ~ instead of the rocker fist of my SD/USB one… Anyhow! Before showing you a proper unbox, i found myself taking too many pics of the key… so here’s an unbox of that! See the many pics on the next page…

NotVentures is here! Escapism at its best! Latest section of the NotEmpire ~ dedicated to helping us all indulge our worldly wanderlust ~ regardless of whether we’re ready to book a flight, or just need a mid day day dream destination. With so many incredible places to see and things to do around the globe (and beyond!) ~ as well as incredible products, resources, and services to help us do them… travel has outgrown NOTCOT.org and into NotVentures!

HUGE thank you to my amazing team at Federated Media and ZYNC from American Express for believing in NOTCOT and sponsoring the launch of both Tasteologie and NotVentures. It has been surreal having the extra nudge to get these pet projects of mine off the ground this year ~ and working on them… also pushed me to redesign the footers across all of the grid sites! Also… ROCKET SHIP!!! I adore the incredible logo and banner design that our friends at Dead As We Know It created ~ it embodies how i feel about travel perfectly… (psst - if you’re on a large screen, stretch your browser out for some surprises in the banner design!)

So what IS NotVentures? A collection of amazing curated user submission links for you to explore (and submit to if you wish to share!) focused on everything from places we want to see and places we’ve visited and loved to gadgets and articles and anything that helps you get where you need to go… and enjoy it! See some examples in the mini roundup below ~ and see more on the site!